Graham Poll received the tacit backing of his fellow referees last night, but England's premier if increasingly beleaguered official has admitted privately to feeling "let down" by what he perceives to be the Football Association's lack of support over the furore surrounding his recent displays at White Hart Lane and Goodison Park.

The 43-year-old will take charge of another high-pressure fixture tomorrow when Newcastle travel to Manchester City. His appointment is a reflection of the support he enjoys from Keith Hackett's Professional Game Match Officials Board, despite his controversial dismissal of Everton's James McFadden on Wednesday night and the allegations made by the Chelsea defender Ashley Cole that Poll had vowed to teach the champions "a lesson" during their defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Poll is understood to be dismayed by the FA's unwillingness to take action against Chelsea for the "threatening way" in which a handful of their players surrounded him to contest his booking of Michael Ballack. The referee mentioned the incident in the match report he filed at Soho Square this week, only for the FA to confirm it would not be taking action. Poll has told colleagues that the governing body's reluctance to act has "let down 30,000 referees from grass-roots level upwards in England", the wider implication being that an opportunity to censure players for openly ridiculing referees has been missed.

The FA is investigating Cole's comments, taking statements from all parties to determine whether the England full-back should be disciplined. Poll vehemently denies telling Frank Lampard that "your [Chelsea's] discipline is out of order; you need to be taught a lesson". He claims to have urged the England midfielder to "sort his side's discipline out" or he would be forced to take action. He subsequently sent off the visitors' captain, John Terry, for two bookable offences.

That was the second red card he had shown this season, with the third - to go with 66 yellow cards in 17 games - shown to McFadden on Wednesday after Poll claimed he had heard the Scotland international call him "a fucking cheat". The Everton forward later issued a statement insisting he had actually said the referee's decision not to award the hosts a penalty had been "fucking shite".

Everton will not appeal against the dismissal and it is ironic that McFadden's language actually leaves him open to internal club discipline for foul and abusive language directed at an official. Poll would have tolerated the abuse had he not been convinced his integrity had been called into question, despite the fact that such swearing is an offence.

"Maybe referees, myself included, have brought this upon ourselves by being over-tolerant," said the former Premiership referee Jeff Winter. "There seems to be a play on words as to whether McFadden used the word 'cheat' or another abusive term, but the laws of the game say that a player who uses foul and abusive language should be sent from the field."

Poll's reputation - fair or not - for stamping his personality on matches precedes him these days. There is a notoriety to the man from Tring, the most recognisable official operating in the Premiership at present, which was festering long before he notoriously showed three yellow cards to Croatia's Josip Simunic during a match against Australia in last summer's World Cup. His decisions currently prompt violent derision from the stands, whether his interpretation is fair or not, and his authority is undermined as much by his mannerisms, and the perception that he is attempting to be bigger than the game he is officiating, as by the players' dissent. The sight of Poll signing autographs - albeit at the request of supporters - beside the tunnel before kick-off on Wednesday was alarming. This was playing up to an image he would do well to shed.

"I've had big spats with him in the past and I think there are things regarding Graham's persona that could be changed," said the Sheffield United manager, Neil Warnock. "Whether [or not] that is possible . . . I still think Graham is one of our best referees. He will have bad days because he will make mistakes."

It is open to question whether Poll's performances this week coincided with "bad days", with the referee right to argue that it is not his place to avoid making strong decisions. After all, friends and colleagues insist that he has "skin thicker than an elephant" and that, far from courting the limelight, he actually craves the quiet life.

"If Graham is not hurting about this I'd be amazed," said Graham Barber, a former Premiership and Fifa referee. "No referee wants to read about himself or see himself on television. The only reason it happens to Graham is because he is high-profile, as the best referee, and the game has more coverage than ever. He will probably hope the [Manchester City] game goes incredibly well and nobody mentions him, but he won't shirk his responsibility.

"Ask the top managers and players who they would want in a crunch game and most would give you only one answer, 'Graham Poll', as Sir Alex Ferguson has said more than once. People in the game know he's the best. I think the reason is that Graham is very approachable."

Poll had actually shared a joke with the Everton manager, David Moyes, before kick-off on Wednesday. But not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, he departed with abuse ringing in his ears.

Poll's problems from the silent whistle to the three-card trick

April 21 2000

Everton 0 Liverpool 0

With the scores at 0-0, Poll blows the full-time whistle, top left, as Sander Westerveld's free-kick rebounds off Don Hutchison into the Liverpool net. "As the goalkeeper kicked the ball I blew for time but in the confusion, in the noise, no one heard the whistle," said Poll. "He opted for the easy way out," said Everton's Walter Smith.

August 21 2000

Arsenal 2 - 0 Liverpool

Sends off Gary McAllister, Dietmar Hamann and Patrick Vieira at Highbury. McAllister's card is later rescinded. "We are very unlucky with Mr Poll , I have never won with him," said the Liverpool manager, Gérard Houllier. "As soon as we know we have got Mr Poll , the players know what is going to happen."

Awards Newcastle an 86th-minute penalty, second top, and sends off Ray Parlour (plus Craig Bellamy). Arsenal complain to the FA.

June 8 2002

Italy 1 - 2 Croatia

Italy have two goals disallowed in their World Cup group-stage defeat. "These weren't even first division or second division, they were from the village," said Christian Vieri of the decisions. Poll was not retained for the final stages of the competition.

April 13 2003

Arsenal 1 - 0 Sheffield United

Poll collides with a United player in the build-up to Arsenal's goal in the FA Cup semi-final. The referee was Arsenal's "best midfielder" says manager Neil Warnock after his Sheffield United side lost.

January 25 2006

Manchester Utd 2 - 1 Blackburn

Fails to award Rovers a penalty in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg when Rio Ferdinand handles the ball. "Mr Poll thought 61,000 people had come to see him," says Blackburn's manager, Mark Hughes.

June 22 2006

Croatia 2 - 2 Australia

A nightmare World Cup performance comes to a head when Poll sends off Croatia's Josep Simunic, but only after issuing him a third yellow card.

November 5 2006

Tottenham 2 - 1 Chelsea

Sends off John Terry, second bottom - the first time in his career the defender has been dismissed. Terry claims Poll changed his mind about the reason for his sending-off.

November 8 2006

Everton 0 - 1 Arsenal

Dismisses James McFadden, left, after 19 minutes for foul and abusive language, taking his season's tally to 66 yellow and three red cards. McFadden denies calling Poll a cheat.